Archive By Section - Local News

It was a slow start but by the end of the day, Saturday, Aug. 15 more than one family went home with a replacement child safety seat because theirs was out-of-date or unsafe, according to safety standards.

The Oakdale Police Department, in conjunction with other Stanislaus County law enforcement agencies, worked together to conduct free child safety seat check events at St. Mary's Church at 1225 Olive St. in Oakdale.

The car seat checks gave parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn how to install and use child safety seats correctly. Properly securing a child in a child safety ...

Following last year's blueprint, the City of Oakdale hosted three park parties in celebration of the Tuesday, Aug. 4 National Night Out event with varying levels of success.

The parties, which offered free hot dogs, chips and a drink, were made possible by generous donations given by local businesses but while some parties, such as the one at Dorada Park were subdued, another, such as the party at Shire Park in Bridle Ridge was rocking and rolling - literally - as entertainment was top of the list.

Oakdale City firefighters were manning the grill at Dorada Park while the antique fire ...

In this day and age there are precious few perks to be found in this business so I always make it a point to attend the Media Day offered at the Stanislaus County Fair the day prior to opening for the public. In the six years since I've been with The Leader, I've only missed it twice (once because I was on bedrest during my last pregnancy, and another when I went to Georgia for my first RWA conference).

This year it was smashing good fun (as it always is) and I'm happy to share the experience ...

The Oakdale Irrigation District Board of Directors voted unanimously at the Aug. 4 regular meeting to award the contract to Magorian Mines of Auburn for the South Main Canal and Tunnels project after determining that the discrepancies in Magorian's bid were inconsequential.

The matter had been referred to OID's legal counsel and consultant Condor Earth Technologies after protests were filed following the previous regular meeting on July 21, when the bid was conditionally awarded.

Several public comments were heard on the matter that raised concerns about Magorian's bid and ability to complete the project. An attorney representing ...

A public meeting on July 21 filled the Oakdale Library with more than 70 concerned citizens regarding the potential spreading of by-product rinse mud dredged from the ConAgra facility's aerated ponds to be used as soil amendments on 13 farmland and orchard properties throughout the local area owned by Oakdale farmer John Brichetto.

Con Agra spokesperson Bob Kula reported that there are three ponds on the site but it is one pond that is relevant to this issue. The pond is 20 feet deep and, he said, has about 10 feet of solids in it and that the tomato ...

Five years ago, a young captain with years of tactical experience and a solid head on his shoulders was tapped, along with a then-administrative secretary, to assume the helm of the Oakdale Rural Fire District upon the retirement of long-time chief Bill Houk.

It was a temporary measure aimed at saving the beleaguered district much-needed cash until a fire initiative could be passed for an infusion of additional funds.

Visitors entering Oakdale from the South will now notice a new welcome sign, one that clearly identifies this as the city that is the 'Cowboy Capital of the World.'

The sign is at the same location as the original sign, on South Yosemite near the Oakdale Recycling Center.

"The Cowboy Museum received many suggestions following the Cowboy Capital of the World Contest last year stating that Oakdale should have a sign indicating that we're (still) the Cowboy Capital of the World," explained Cowboy Museum Executive Director Christie Camarillo. "A committee was formed and in February of this year, Director ...

The Oakdale Irrigation District Board of Directors voted unanimously at their July 21 meeting to award the bid for the South Main Canal and Tunnel improvement project to the lowest bidder, which is Magorian Mines Services of Auburn. OID General Manager Steve Knell said that because of the "tight" bids he expected that bid protests would be filed by the competing bidders.

Magorian submitted a bid for $5.26 million, while the next lowest bidder was Sierra Mountain Construction of Tuolumne County, which came in with $5.38 million. The next bid was Johnson Western Gunite with $5.43 million ...

The countdown to the county fair is on. Oakdale's FFA and 4-H members are getting their project displays ready, checking the weights of their market animals, practicing showmanship, and getting their equipment together. The Stanislaus County Fair runs July 31 through Aug. 3.

Oakdale High School FFA member Presley Gravatt is taking a market lamb named "Elvis," three Suffolk breeding sheep, and a dairy replacement heifer - a pregnant Holstein named "Lola" - to this year's fair.

One of Gravatt's Ag teachers, Bob Joseph, recently weighed Elvis so that she would know how close she's getting with the ...

A 21-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital after she attempted to extinguish the flames threatening her home as a 20-acre wild land fire between Liberini Avenue and River Road burned trees and grass Sunday, July 12.

Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources will host a meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 at the Oakdale Library, 151 So. First Ave., Oakdale to consider: A request to issue a Stanislaus County Food Processing By-product Use permit to ConAgra Foods for the land application of food processing by-products.

A group of six community members enrolled in the Leadership course sponsored by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce took a day to get an up-close and personal view of the issues inherent to public safety by spending a day with the police department, Thursday, June 25.

Support your local Oakdale Gator swim team and take your family out to an evening at the movies by buying presale movie night fundraiser tickets for Ice Age 3 and Transformers 2, showing Thursday, July 9 at the Oakdale Theater. Tickets are $7 and they must be purchased in advance.

The promise of hot temperatures and a Fourth of July holiday that lands on a Saturday has fire agencies gearing up for a busy - and fun - holiday but warn that being caught with illegal fireworks could result in fines that range from $500 to $5,000.

Faced with the possibility of financing a $20,000 special election as well as having to wait until the end of the year, the Oakdale City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the decision to appoint someone to fill Don Petersen's upcoming vacant seat.

Three members of the Oakdale Police Department were recognized for heroic action on Monday night, Feb. 2 stemming from a 2014 incident where a man threatened his family with a knife and who attempted to take his own life in the process.

For the second time the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office has asked the court to grant them more time to decide if they will pursue criminal charges against a Turlock man accused of sexually assaulting an employee at his Oakdale pizzeria.